Chapter 306: The Han Family Estate

About 200 kilometers outside of Kyoto, in the suburbs of a certain city, a unique geographical advantage made the area warm in winter and cool in summer. Wealthy individuals had bought up several mountain peaks, building numerous villas that were hidden from each other yet owned by a tightly-knit community of elite residents.

At the Xu family estate, a party was in full swing, with neighboring villa owners invited over for a barbecue by day and mahjong by night. The atmosphere was lively and joyful.

Madam Han, the lady of the Han family, sat at one corner of the mahjong table. Although she was in a wheelchair, it didn’t hinder her ability to play. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she eyed her tiles, confident that she was about to win this round.

Just then, someone knocked and hurriedly approached Madam Han, whispering in her ear, “Madam, Miss Han has returned.”

Madam Han waved dismissively, indicating she was aware. “She’s back, so what? I’ll be home by midnight. Tell her not to rush me.”

The servant hesitated, glancing around before continuing, “Miss Han brought a man with her.”

“What?” Madam Han was momentarily distracted, accidentally playing the wrong tile. She realized her mistake only as it landed on the table.

“Oh no, I played the wrong tile,” she said.

“No take-backs! No cheating!” one of the ladies at the table laughed, stopping Madam Han from retrieving the tile. “I’m going for the win!”

“Agh!” Madam Han exclaimed, frustrated enough to crush the tile in her hand.

Her temper flared as she snapped at the servant, “I heard you. So she brought a man. Big deal. She’s at the age to get married. Now leave and stop interrupting my game.”

The servant, embarrassed, exited quietly, realizing she hadn’t finished informing that Miss Han had brought home an injured man and arranged for round-the-clock care.

Worried about what would happen if Mr. Han found out, she could only hope Miss Han could handle the situation alone.

The sound of mahjong tiles resumed, and the women at the table exchanged curious glances. Mrs. Xu was the first to speak, “Is your Han Xi getting married already? She’s not even thirty, right?”

In wealthy families like theirs, children usually married under two circumstances: early alliances to strengthen family ties or after proving themselves in the family business, which often meant nearing thirty.

Han Xi, an accomplished woman, had taken on significant family responsibilities and even established her own successful cosmetics company, free from any family control, making her a highly desirable match.

The other women envied her, wishing such an impressive daughter-in-law for their own sons.

Another lady at the table added, “Which family’s young master is lucky enough to marry Han Xi?”

She really wanted to know which man managed to capture Han Xi’s heart, as her own son had failed to do so despite his best efforts.

Madam Han, not knowing herself, replied, “Oh, nothing is decided yet. We’ll see.”

Eager to change the subject, she urged the previous winner to roll the dice, clearly keen to resume their game.

The others, sensing her reluctance to continue the topic, offered their congratulations half-heartedly.

“When Han Xi gets married, make sure to invite us! We want to see the grand event!”

“Yes, indeed. A marriage in the Han family will take your fortunes to new heights. We’ll be watching with admiration!”

Such flattery was routine for Madam Han, who accepted it with a smile and smoothly redirected the conversation.

“Let’s focus on the game today, ladies. We can discuss other matters another time.”

And so, the game continued with forced smiles and hidden agendas.

Meanwhile, in another villa on a neighboring mountain, the lights were bright as servants hurriedly cleaned the floor, scrubbing away bloodstains.

“Hurry up! Don’t let Miss Han see this mess when she comes out!” the head servant urged.

The servants lamented their job’s challenges despite the high pay, cleaning up the aftermath of Han Xi bringing home an injured man earlier that evening. In a tussle, his wound had reopened, spilling blood everywhere.

Fortunately, the man survived and was now in a designated sick room with Han Xi by his side, leaving the servants to clean up.

They knew better than to question whether the man was brought willingly or kidnapped, remembering that years ago, a similar incident had left Madam Han in a wheelchair, though the details were kept secret, known only to a few old retainers who had since been dismissed.

The first rule the remaining elder butlers taught the new staff was to work silently and speak even less. Keeping quiet was their key to survival.